The 411 - Does Jonathan Frakes sit like this in real life or just when he plays Riker on Star Trek?

 

Jonathan Frakes, the actor who played Commander William Riker on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," became somewhat famous for his distinctive way of sitting, known as the "Riker Maneuver." This involved Frakes swinging his leg over the back of a chair and sitting down, often with a noticeable lean to one side. This maneuver was a characteristic and unique trait of the Riker character.

In real life, Jonathan Frakes does not consistently sit in the Riker Maneuver style. The exaggerated lean and chair straddle were specific to his portrayal of Commander Riker and served as a memorable and distinctive aspect of the character's mannerisms. When not in character, Frakes sits in a more conventional manner.

It's common for actors to develop specific physical quirks or gestures for their characters to make them more memorable or distinctive. In the case of Jonathan Frakes and Commander Riker, the Riker Maneuver became an iconic and easily recognizable trait associated with the character.

Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model